The day is finally here. I am travelling to Rome. But, first, as I sit here in the Pittsburgh International Airport with more than enough time to consider the fun to come, there are questions Dr. Julier asked us to think about:
How do we 'see' culture?
How does the history of this place shape the food culture?
What is the food voice that you hear?
What do Italians say about their own culture?
What are you looking for in Italy?
Where do you think you're going to find it?
How does being an American affect your perception?
As I sit here typing, munching on a chicken and cheese burrito from the fast food restaurant "Currito," the inherent internationality of American cuisine is blatant. The catch phrase for this particular food stop is "Burritos without Borders" and the menu reflects this- Teriyaki burritos to Nutella snacks to mango salsa are some of the varieties available. As an American, living in Pittsburgh, I consider myself very fortunate to be exposed to such a great international influence in terms of cuisine. Even within my own family life I grew up with food being directly referred to in terms of nationality.
My paternal grandma always made haluski and pierogies while telling us to get our "dupas" out of the kitchen. My maternal grandma always made eggplant parmesan and ravioli for New Year celebrations and Christmas, while constantly sending all different kinds of pasta to our house to eat after school. My maternal pap's Irish heritage continually led to having ham and cabbage with potatoes while attending our weekly meetings for Ancient Order of Hibernians. My mom and dad always made a hodgepodge of food, from pasta e fagioli to 'man slaw' to potato salad. I grew up consuming culture, as that is the primary way that I understand 'seeing' culture. While American food culture appears homogenized at times, I really appreciate the international crossroads that constantly resurface for American consumers.
I am interested in tracking the international influence on Italian cuisine and the extent of it, as well as the Italian perception of the 'sacredness' of cuisine. While America includes a melting pot of cultures, I expect to see more Italian solidarity in terms of food. Who knows what gelato flavors could lead to!
Another aspect of food studies that will be interesting to track is how food is closely associated with place. My own travel experience domestically includes trying gooey butter cake in St. Louis, crab cakes in Baltimore, and See's candies in Seattle. My Italian phrasebook includes a food section that in some instances directly associates food with place. Some examples:
Minestrone alla genovese- minestrone flavored with pesto (A Genoese sauce of basil, pecorino cheese, garlic and pine nuts soaked in oil)
Tortellini- small pockets of dough filled with minced pork, turkey, ham, eggs, cheese and spices served in a broth or meat sauce
Abbacchio al forno- oven baked spring lamb- A Roman specialty
Cannoli- Rolls of pastry filled with ricotta (A Sicilian specialty)
Panettone- Fruit cake made of fine flour mixed with eggs, sugar, butter and candied fruit peel (Specialty of Milan)
Panforte di Siena- A hard sweet from Siena
Caciocavallo- An Italian cheese from the South, of elongated shape similar to provolone
Mascarpone- A kind of cottage cheese from Lombardy, made with cream
Provolone- Hard, round cheese from Southern Italy
Stracchino- Buttery, non-fermented cheese from Lombardy, made of cow's milk
Even though some of these dishes are readily available and main-streamed in America, like tortellini and cannolis, I am interested to compare my previous experiences with these dishes and compare and contrast the Roman versions. More experiences to come... Arrivederci a tutti! Buon cibo!
